Cool Stuff | Bizzert

Santa Claus is Coming

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2vYqGdkFd8

Has anyone else been singing this a lot in order to get their kids to behave? This is from Andrea Bocelli’s Christmas Concert. If you haven’t seen it, it’s fantastic and I promise it will get you in the Christmas spirit!

Posted by Amy on Dec 16, 2009 in Cool Stuff | 2 comments

SeatKarma

SeatKarma is a cool new website that happens to be the brilliant idea of one of my close relatives. They were recently featured in an article on Technology News and here’s a little bit of the write up:
• Elevator pitch: A Kayak-like service for tickets to live events.

• The idea: SeatKarma searches various ticket broker sites such as RazorGator and StubHub to help users find the best seats for the best price for sports, concerts and plays. Users can also see pictures of the view from various seats at professional sports stadiums nationwide as well as NCAA football venues. The site also boasts 3-D renderings of seating at some theaters. Once consumers find the tickets they want, the site redirects them to a broker site to purchase from directly. The company takes a commission of an average 7 to 12 percent from the broker and says it gives 10 percent of its monthly revenue to charity.

• The brains: Founders Chris Nicolaysen and Ohad Nezer met while getting their MBAs at Texas A&M. The pair founded the company in 2007. The site went live in March.

• Users: The site doesn’t require registration, but Nezer says it averages 10,000 unique visitors a month.

Check them out the next time you need great tickets!

Posted by Amy on Oct 14, 2009 in Cool Stuff | 1 comment

Where Is He Working?

Predator drone

The job that Rob started a couple days ago is as in-house legal counsel for General Atomics. And since what they have written on their website goes way over my head and I could never attempt to re-word it, here’s a quote on what they do:

General Atomics was conceived in 1955 at San Diego, California for the purpose of harnessing the power of nuclear technologies for the benefit of mankind. General Atomics’ basic research into fission and fusion has matured into competence in many technologies, making GA and its affiliated companies one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

See what I mean? Way over my head, but totally cool. Our favorite part of what they do so far has been learning about the Predator drone they produce for the military. Here’s what Wikipedia says about it:

The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which the United States Air Force describes as a MALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) UAV system. It can serve in a reconnaissance role and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The aircraft, in use since 1995, has seen combat over Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq, and Yemen. In addition, since 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses the aircraft (unarmed) for border patrol within the U.S. It is a remote-controlled aircraft.

The MQ-1 Predator is a system, not just an aircraft. The fully operational system consists of four air vehicles (with sensors), a ground control station (GCS), and a Predator primary satellite link communication suite.

So in a way, Rob is working with the Department of Defense right? 😉 I guess next to being a JAG this is the closest he can come. You can thank him later for keeping our country safe.

Posted by Amy on Sep 10, 2009 in Cool Stuff, General | 2 comments

Name Dropper

Rob has done a lot of research on ancestry.com and recently discovered a feature that shows famous people you are related to. Here is the list for me. I’m most excited about Jane Austen who’s books I never tire of. (See, now I’m even talking like her) Knowing I have a small percentage of these people in my DNA makes me feel a little more relevant and part of something big. So excuse me, while I brag a little about my relatives…

Artists:

Walt Disney (1901-1966)
American Animator
Walter Elias Disney is the famous creator of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland. He produced, directed, and animated his many motion pictures. His first full length animated picture was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Relationship: 5th Cousin 4 times removed

Charles Stratton (1838-1883)
Circus Performer
General Tom Thumb (born Charles Stratton) was taught to sing, dance, and act by circus pioneer P.T. Barnum. His small frame and many talents made him famous around the world.
Relationship: 6th Cousin 5 times removed

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)
American Architect
Frank Lloyd Wright was an influential American architect. Pioneering the prairie style house and designing the Guggenheim Museum in New York are two of his most famous accomplishments.
Relationship: 7th Cousin 5 times removed

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)
American Painter
Norman Rockwell is known for his illustrations on the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. His work most often portrays the idealized American lifestyle. During his lifetime he produced over 2000 original works.
Relationship: 8th Cousin 3 times removed

Click below for more of my exciting relatives!

Posted by Amy on Jul 29, 2009 in Cool Stuff, General | 2 comments

Guess What I Am?

I finally got my photo gallery caught up through May, and came across some fun things that I haven’t shared. One of them is the game Guess What I Am. It really is “hilarious fun for everyone.” We love this game because even Sabrina can play along without having to team up with Mommy or Daddy, and we can play it really quickly in just one round when we’re short for time, or do several rounds and make it a full game. It gets you thinking and sorting in your mind because you are trying to figure out which person or animal you are by only asking questions, but it doesn’t feel like learning because it’s so fun. We all highly recommend this game!